Lost Under the Stars
by Bahamuts AngelVII
Summary: [Vincent x Tifa] Love can be found in the most unexpected places.
1. Prologue

**Lost Under the Stars  
**_Final Fantasy VII_

**By: **Bahamuts AngelVII

**A/N: **Italicized means thinking. Review! Go check out my other FFVII stories while you're at it. And then review!

**Prologue**

"Cloud, I'm home!" Tifa called. "Damn it." She chastised herself.

She had been used to saying that every time she came home from her bar, because Cloud had been there. But he was gone now. She still listened for his voice. Before, he would respond with a "Tifa! What's for dinner? Just kidding, I made it myself!" And Tifa would joke and say, "Oh, Cloud, haven't you grown up?" And they would laugh together and eat dinner. But not anymore.

It had been only six months since Sephiroth was defeated. Needless to say, Cloud was a little lost, and Tifa had taken care of him like the loving person that she was. At times she had to endure countless hours that went well into the night to talk to Cloud. His main subject was Aeris. As much as Tifa loved her dear friend, she was _dead_. Tifa didn't like to press that point on Cloud, but honestly, when was he going to get over it? The Ancient was gone. Gone, forever. But Cloud didn't see it that way.

"_Tifa, I know we can see her… I know we can get her back!"_

"_Cloud… I know you love her… But she's… She's gone…"_

"_But Tifa! We can get her back!"_

"…_Are you sure? How do we get her back?"_

Tifa would play into Cloud's little game. Telling him Aeris was dead seemed to push him closer to the brink of insanity. But then again, Cloud telling Tifa how much he loved Aeris was pushing _her _to the brink of a mental breakdown. She loved Cloud. And yet the only person he was capable of loving was Aeris.

"_We have to go… We have to go find something, let's go to Icicle Inn! Or maybe the City of the Ancients!"_

"_Cloud… I can't go."_

"_Why? Tifa? Are you okay? Why are you crying?"_

"_N-nothing… I have to stay here and care for Marlene, because Barrett is away working to restore New Midgar."_

"_Why are you crying?"_

Tifa was crying because she loved him and she wanted him to finally love her. She had to listen to this same talk over and over for the past six months and she couldn't hold back the tears.

_"Cloud, I love you!"_

Tifa couldn't stop herself. She had had to let it out. And when she had, she had no idea what Cloud would say.

_"… What?"_

_"I love you, Cloud Strife."_

_"… Tifa…"_

_"Yes?"_

_"I'm so sorry…"_

With those words, Tifa had broken down even harder. Tears poured down her face and her body shook uncontrollably. Cloud had held her close to him. Now he was backing away.

_"Tifa… I love Aeris… You know that…"_

_"Y-yeah… I know. I'm so sorry… That she's gone. I want you to be happy."_

_"Tifa, I—"_

_"Oh, Cloud, I've loved you since forever… I've wanted to tell you so badly… But the only person you'll ever love is Aeris…"_

_"…"_

He didn't know what to say.

_"Tifa, you are my best friend. Don't forget… I love you always, okay?"_

_"… Cloud?"_

But he had already left the room. He went and locked the door on his bedroom. Tifa didn't want to bother him. She didn't want to do anything. She didn't want to breathe. She lay down on the leather couch and let her sobs go. She hid under the blanket that she had always kept on the couch and let the tears soak up into them. After an hour she had fallen into a deep sleep.

She didn't hear Cloud as he slipped away into the night with all of his belongings. She didn't hear him as he got himself a final glass of water from the tap. She didn't feel him as he placed a letter into her outstretched hand.

She didn't hear him when he whispered, "Tifa, I love you and I'll miss you," into her ear. She didn't even notice.

When Tifa awoke, the first thing she felt were the tear stains on her face. The second was the paper. She gripped hard and sat up straight. Something wasn't right. It was too quiet. She looked at the envelope.

"_Tifa Lockheart_" It read in Cloud's trademark scrawl. She felt the tears well up again. She opened the envelope and pulled out the letter.

_Tifa,_

_I'm sorry that I had to do this in a letter. I'm sorry I let you down. I wish I could love you like you love me, because I know that that is how you'll be happy. But Tifa… I can't. I can't love you like that because I love Aeris. I love her from the bottom of my heart, but Tifa, that doesn't mean you're not in it. I love you so much; you've always been there for me._

_You've probably realized that I'm no longer here. I'm going on a journey to go and find her, because when I do I'll finally be happy. I want you to be happy, Tifa, because if anyone deserves it you do. You're perfect and you're an angel. I want you to find someone who's capable of loving and who is deserving of your love. I'm not worth it, Tifa. And you know that deep down, so why do you still love me?_

_Now you understand why I can't stay. I can't stay because I don't want to hurt you anymore. I realize now that all those times I talked about Aeris, all those times… I saw hurt in your eyes and I always thought it was because you were sad about her. But now I know that it was because I've been hurting you all along. Tifa I'm not meant to be your knight in shining armor. I couldn't protect you because I'm the one that hurts you the most. I want you to be happy, so that's why I'm leaving._

_I love you, Tifa Lockhart. Live a full and prosperous life, and maybe one day we'll see each other again. I'll listen for tales of your travels because I know that you're no longer going to stay in Costa del Sol. How do I know? I've known you forever, and I know you won't stay. You're too full of energy and excitement. If you see any of our old friends, tell them I say hi. Tifa don't think that I'm leaving because I can't stand your love for me. Never, ever think it is your fault. Tifa I want to love you. I want to love you so badly but I can't. I'm never going to hurt you again, because you don't deserve it._

_Maybe one day… Maybe one day we'll find the little bit of happiness that belongs to us._

_Love,_

_Cloud Strife_

The letter fell out of Tifa's hands and came to rest under the coffee table. She started shaking all over again. When the tears sluiced down her face, she knew that there was no more hope. Cloud would never love her.

Tifa stood in the doorway of her dark home. Everything was packed up and she had finally sold the house and all of her belongings, except for her necessities. Tifa decided she would go on a journey like Cloud had said. He did know her too well, after all. Tifa sighed heavily and went outside and locked the door. She put the key in an envelope and left it in the mailbox of the person who had bought her home. She would go and find her friends, because she hadn't seen them in six months.

Tifa gazed at her home that she had shared with Cloud for the past months. It really had felt like home to her. When she finally backed away from the house, she felt a great burden had been lifted off her shoulders. She was casting away the six months of her life that she desperately had wanted to become her real life. A life with Cloud. A normal, happy life with the one she loved. _Maybe I'm just not meant to be happy. _Tifa smiled a little. But maybe, just maybe, one day she could find a little bit of happiness, just like Cloud had said.

**A/N: **Yay for prologues. I liked writing this. Review, review, review! Then I'll have inspiration for the following chapters! Thanks to everyone who read this! And I apologize for any grammar/spelling errors. I proof-read a lot of times, but you know how things happen. So PLEASE review!


	2. Chapter 1

**Lost Under the Stars  
**_Final Fantasy VII_

**By: **Bahamuts AngelVII

**A/N: **Italicized means thinking. Review! Go check out my other FFVII stories while you're at it. And then review!  
And basically, Vincent doesn't come in to mend Tifa's broken heart until chapter three, but I hope you all find the first four parts (prologue, chapter 1, 2, and 3) parts well written and stuff like that. Review!

**Chapter One**

Tifa lazily rode her Chocobo through the grassy plains past Costa del Sol. Her suitcase was secured behind her and she was heading in the general direction of Rocket Town. Her first idea was to visit Barrett in North Corel, but she wasn't sure if he was home with Marlene yet, so she decided to instead drop in on Cid and Shera. She would see them three weeks later for their wedding, but she didn't have anything better to do anyway.

As the wind picked up, Tifa glanced towards the sky and noticed dark grey clouds rolling in. She hurried her Chocobo faster and faster towards Rocket Town, although she was a little farther away that she had predicted. The rain started pitter-patting down on Tifa and as she pushed her Chocobo faster, she enjoyed the stinging sensation of the fierce winds whipping her cheeks.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Tifa arrived at Cid's doorstep. She quickly took her suitcase off her Chocobo and sent it back to Chocobo Farm. She then rang the doorbell. She heard yelling, nagging, a loud thump, and then a scream before the door opened to reveal a very disheveled looking Shera.

"Oh, wow, what a surprise! Tifa! How g-good it is to see you!"

"Hey, Shera. Is something the matter?" Tifa peaked around the doorway to see Cid sitting in his chair with a very red face indeed.

"Oh, nothing. Come on in!"

"Sorry to just drop in on you guys, but I'm traveling around and I was just coming to visit for a day or so, if that's okay."

"Well of course its okay, Tifa! You're like a daughter to me!" Cid barked.

"And besides, we already have a guest." Shera chimed in. "Yuffie just got in a few hours ago."

"Yuffie's here? Where!" Tifa looked around, as if expecting Yuffie to pop out of the pantry.

"Right here!" Yuffie exclaimed, after actually popping out of the pantry, covered in flour and powdered sugar.

The two girls squealed and hugged. "I haven't seen you for six months! What have you been up to?" Tifa asked.

Tifa and Yuffie sat down at the kitchen table with Cid while Shera prepared them tea.

"Well, right after all the celebrations, Cid here dropped me off in Wutai, along with all the materia." Yuffie chirped. "I'm still helping to restore Wutai to its former glory, and it's working now that a hero lives there!" Yuffie said, pointing to herself.

"Don't get all worked up, you little brat, we saved the world too." Cid said gruffly.

"Now, now, Cid. I don't think you should talk to Yuffie like that." Tifa scolded playfully.

Ignoring Tifa's jab and Yuffie's laugh, Cid said, "Damn it, Shera! Where the hell is my tea! And their tea!"

"Right here, honey." Shera said placidly. She put down the three teacups and retreated to her bedroom.

"Geeze, you order around your bride-to-be like a slave driver! Who were _you _in your past life?" Yuffie poked fun at Cid. "Obviously not Chicken George!"

"You damn brat, no one gives a shit about your fucking jokes!" Cid angrily stormed out of the house into the backyard, where it was still raining as hard as ever.

"So, Tifa, what are you doing here? What have you been up to?"

"I'm just traveling around you know, things to do and people to see." Tifa waved her hand as if she was dismissing her own comment. "I used to live with Cloud in Costa del Sol, but not anymore. Why are you here?"

"Pause. Re-wind. _Used to _live in Costa del Sol. What do you mean?"

"I mean… Not anymore. But you didn't answer my question."

"Oh, I'm here to drop off Cid and Shera's wedding present early." Yuffie pointed to a large, rectangular package that took up half of the living room. "Don't tell them, but I bought a flat screen TV, and—"

"You bought them a flat screen!"

"Shh, no. You didn't let me finish. I bought a flat screen and then took it out of the box and then put a gift card for 'Marty's Materia Shop' in there. And a bunch of rocks, so it's heavy."

"Oh, Yuffie, you never cease to amaze me."

"Hey, what can I say? I try. But onto more important matters… What happened with Cloud?"

"Erm… Can we talk about this somewhere more private?"

"Yeah. Let's go back upstairs, they're letting me stay in the guest room tonight."

"Okay, sounds good." Tifa trailed up the staircase behind Yuffie holding two saucers with tea cups on them.

Once the two girls settled down comfortable on Yuffie's king size bed in the guest room, Yuffie began pestering Tifa again.

"So, ya know, Tifa, I always expected you 'n little Cloudie to get together after this whole 'I am Sephiroth, I like destructive meteor balls' thing." Yuffie paused. "You know, just forget I added the word 'balls'. But then again, what is with the flowing silver hair? That is surely a fashion no-no." She finished with a serious look on her face.

Tifa burst out laughing at her younger friend's antics. She sure had missed Yuffie.

"Well, it sort of turned out that way, but only for awhile. And then…… Let's just say it didn't go as planned."

"What happened?"

"I told him."

"Ehmagawd! You told Cloud you looooove him?"

"… Yes."

"And!" Yuffie leaned forward in anticipation.

"And then he told me he could never love me because he'd always love Aeris and then I broke down crying and he left that night and put a letter in my hand and it made me cry all over again." Tifa said all in one breath. Yuffie's look of excitement changed to sorrow, confusion, and then anger.

"What! That's crazy! Cloud did that! What a flippin' jerk!"

"I can see what he means. He really loves her. I don't blame him at all."

"Aren't you sad? Mad? Anything?"

"I... I was sad. But... I mean I should move on... I'm not mad… I was, but now I know I don't have a right to be mad." Tifa exhaled heavily. Although she claimed not to be that sad, Yuffie could see right through it. Tifa was troubled deeply inside, and it showed, because every time she tried to smile it just wouldn't stay.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Tifa." Yuffie abandoned her position across from Tifa and pulled her into a hug. "I hope you feel better soon."

"Thank you, Yuffie. You're a good friend."

"I don't want to see ya sad! After all, you're like a big sister to me."

Tifa smiled. Sometimes, Yuffie said exactly the right thing.

"Thanks. I see you like a little sis too."

Yuffie grinned. "So… You said he wrote a letter. I hope you burned it! Burn everything he has!"

"I didn't burn it, Yuffie. I keep it."

"… But why?"

"So every time I come up with some hope that he'll fall in love with me, I can look at it to remind myself it'll never happen."

"That doesn't sound like you're on the healing process to a Cloud-free life… But if you want to do that, I understand. Um… Can I see the letter?"

"… Sure."

"Okay, pass it here!" Yuffie exclaimed as Tifa pulled the letter out of her pocket. She stuck the letter into Yuffie's outstretched hand. It was already worn and faded, with stains that Yuffie suspected were from Tifa's tears.

Yuffie opened the letter and read it to herself. She read it again. And again. Finally, she looked up in horror at Tifa's tear-filled eyes.

"Oh, wow… Tifa, I had no friggin' idea!" Yuffie threw the letter onto the bed and pulled Tifa into a tight hug. She gasped again and pulled away. She threw her hand to her mouth. "I totally forgot! I saw Cloud at Icicle Inn the other day while I was snowboarding! He looked so detached and depressed…"

"…Yuffie? Can we not talk about this right now?" Tifa asked sadly.

"Ehmagawd. I'm so sorry. I didn't even think about how you're feeling right now! I'm soooo sorry, Tifa!" Yuffie picked up the letter and placed it back in the envelope. Then she handed the letter back to Tifa, who wiped away the tears in her eyes. Tifa took the letter slowly and put it back in her pocket.

"It's alright."

"So… Um, where are you going to next, Tif?" Yuffie asked, eager to change the subject. She silently scolded herself for hurting Tifa's feelings even more.

"Umm, well… I guess since the wedding is coming up soon I'll stay kinda local. I'll probably go to see Barrett and Marlene once they come back from New Midgar." Tifa replied, acting like the last five minutes didn't occur. She was good at that.

"Sounds fun, can I tag along? Pleeease?" Yuffie asked, when she saw the reluctant look on Tifa's face. When Tifa still had that look, Yuffie added, "Oh, come on! What did I do?"

"I'm only kidding. Of course you can come!" Tifa's face relaxed and she let out a soft laugh. "It'll be awesome."

The two were interrupted by a soft knock on the door. Shera opened it slightly and Yuffie nodded to show it was okay if she entered. Shera came in smiling and closed the door behind her.

"Hello, Shera. The tea was awesome! What's up?" Yuffie chirped.

"Barrett just phoned in and said that he's back from New Midgar and wanted to see everyone again. I told him you two were here and now he's on the phone downstairs. He wants to talk to Tifa. Care to talk to him on the phone?" Shera directed the question to Tifa.

"Oh, of course! Tell Barrett I'll be right down."

"Alright." Shera exited the door and Yuffie immediately bounced off the bed.

"So I guess this means we can go see him pretty soon, right? And we'll get to see the little kid too!"

"The little kid is Marlene, and yes, we get to see them soon. Come on, let's go downstairs."

Tifa didn't wait for a response and instead ran down the staircase. She was satisfied as she heard the footsteps of Yuffie pounding down the stairs behind her. Tifa giggled and thanked Shera for the phone as she handed it to her. Tifa put the phone up to her ear.

"Barrett?" Tifa asked breathily.

"Tifa!" Barrett said scratchily from the other end of the line. "Tifa how are you?"

"I'm fine. How are you? How was New Midgar?"

Barrett laughed his signature trademark laugh. "It was fun. And I'm doing great. So listen, you gotta come visit since you're so close now. Marlene's missing ya over here! She keeps buggin' the hell—"

"Barrett!"

"… The heck out of me. She wants to talk to you… So hold on."

"Okay." Tifa smiled and waited while Marlene got on the phone.

"Tifa! I miss you!"

"I miss you too, Marlene."

"Are you gonna come visit me? I want you to meet all my friends! And you make a better breakfast than daddy does, but don't tell him I told you."

"Of course! And I'll bring Yuffie along too. I'll visit you tomorrow, okay?"

"Really? I can't wait! You better not be lying, Tifa, or I'll be mad..."

"Of course I'm not! But I have to go now, I'll see you soon!"

"Bye, Tifa!"

"Bye-bye now, Marlene."

Tifa clicked off the phone. Yuffie was smirking behind her.

"What? What's with that look?" Tifa asked.

"Nothing at all. You should consider adopting a kid or something, though." Yuffie remarked.

"What exactly do you mean?"

"You're just so good with little kids!"

"Haha… Thanks. But we're leaving tonight."

"We are?"

"Yeah, I wanna go see Barrett and Marlene as soon as I can!"

"Sounds good, but I was expecting to stay here awhile longer…"

"Sorry, Yuffie." Tifa said playfully. Yuffie sighed and placed her hands on her hips.

"The only reason I'm gonna go is because I want to go to Gold Saucer!"

"Hahaha, okay, sure."

"Oh, my little Tifa-bear. You underestimate the wonders of gambling."

**A/N: **Okay well… There's no Tifa/Vincent romance YET, but bear with me, okay? I've got this story all planned out and I swear it'll be good. Just review and keep reading, please! And I know this chapter seems kinda pointless and all, but it'll get better and have a point eventually… Don't forget to review!


	3. Chapter 2

**Lost Under the Stars  
**_Final Fantasy VII_

**By: **Bahamuts AngelVII

**A/N: **Italicized means thinking. Review! Go check out my other FFVII stories while you're at it. And then review!

I'm really sorry that it takes so long for my stories to kick into the main plot; I know many other stories immediately go straight to the plot… But the next chapter will finally get to the plot. Thank you for reading this story!

And sorry for the big update delay!

**Chapter Two**

"Wow, check it out!" Yuffie exclaimed as she hauled four suitcases into the rebuilt city of North Corel.

"Yeah, look at that. Barrett really knows how to do his job, huh?" Tifa replied. The two stopped at the entrance of the city and stared in awe.

North Corel sparkled brightly on the mountainside. Rather than the old broken down shops that had been there earlier, there were now real buildings. The clutter and despair seemed to have been lifted from the old Corel. There were now real homes and real shops, with green lawns and paved roads. In the center of the town was a beautiful and expensive looking fountain. The townsfolk looked more lively and happy than Tifa remembered. Some waved and pointed at Tifa and Yuffie as they passed by, and they returned the waves.

Across the town was a home bigger than the rest. Tifa suspected it belonged to Barrett.

"I think that's Barrett's house. Shall we go?" Tifa asked Yuffie, who was still gaping with a bewildered expression. She still couldn't get over how different North Corel looked. Tifa poked Yuffie to get her attention.

"Oh, what? Yeah. Oh, yeah! Let's go!" Yuffie replied somewhat distractedly.

As Tifa turned to pull on Yuffie's arm, she saw a dark hand reach out and grab her suitcase. She looked, surprised, at the friendly and familiar face of Barrett.

"Barrett!" Tifa exclaimed. She threw her arms around her old friend. He returned the gesture before pulling away to pat Yuffie roughly on the head.

"Hey, Tifa. Hey, brat." Barrett joked. "How's it going?"

"It's good. And I'm not a brat! You're just too grumpy for your own good, ya know!"

"Still as spunky as always."

"You got it!"

"Alright, well let's get back to the house. Marlene's waitin' for ya both!" Barrett picked up Yuffie's many suitcases as well as Tifa's and dragged them along to the house Tifa had pointed out earlier.

"Oooh, Mr. Mayor has the best and biggest house of all, huh?" Yuffie commented.

"The townspeople built it for me while I was in New Midgar. I was living in a stinkin' tent before. You really think I would've made somethin' like this for myself?" Barrett asked Yuffie, sounding slightly mad. Yuffie gulped loudly.

"Of course not. That's not what I meant. I was kidding. Geeze, old man's gotta stick up his ass."

"Yuffie! Language!" Tifa scolded. "Marlene's standing up there! What if she heard you?!"

Yuffie shrugged and raced up the hill to Barrett's home. Tifa took her suitcase back from Barrett and shot up the hill as well. As Tifa neared the front of the home, Marlene jumped on her and gave her a hug.

"Tifa! Tifa! I missed you!" Marlene exclaimed, obviously overjoyed at the sight of the woman she had become used to calling her mother. "Come inside! I made cookies!"

"Oh, really? Well, well, I guess we'll have to taste them to see how good they are, huh?"

"Tifa, they're good! I know it 'cause daddy wouldn't stop eating them." Marlene replied, completely sincere. Tifa giggled.

"Don't forget to give me some cookies." Yuffie added from Tifa's left. She kneeled down and Marlene hugged her.

"Of course you get cookies too!" Marlene ushered the pair inside. "Come on, come on, go taste the cookies!"

"Don't you think we should wait for your father, first?" Tifa inquired.

"No!" Marlene and Yuffie both yelled at the same time. "The fatty's already got his share!" Yuffie added and pounced on the plate of cookies sitting innocently on the kitchen table.

"Save some for me, Yuffie, or you'll be the fatty." Tifa said and helped herself to a few cookies.

"Wow, these cookies rock!" Yuffie exclaimed after eating six cookies without breathing. "Where'd ya learn how to bake stuff like this, Marlene?"

"Tifa used to bake stuff with me when I was little, so I learned from her." Marlene replied, happily eating one of her own cookies. The three were interrupted when the slamming of the front door was heard, following by a few mumbled curse words and the dropping of seemingly large, heavy objects.

"Yuffie, what the hel-heck do you have in those suitcases?!" Barrett heaved. He entered the kitchen and plopped himself down opposite of Tifa.

"Clothes, books, movies, materia, the occasional hamster, you know, the usual." Yuffie replied quite casually as she downed three more cookies. Barrett sighed and shook his head as if to say, "This girl is nuts."

"Marlene, will you show Tifa and Yuffie which room they'll be staying in? You have been asking all week so now you finally can."

"Yes, sir!" Marlene shot out of her chair and pulled Tifa and Yuffie's hands.

"Hold up there, little tyke, I'm eating your delicious cookies. Just show Tifa and I'll get my stuff over there later." Yuffie said.

"Okie dokie, Tifa, follow me!" Marlene exclaimed

"Alright." Tifa chuckled. How she missed Marlene.

"This way, this way!" Marlene insisted, as Tifa picked up her suitcase and made her way up the brightly lit staircase behind her. "Your room is cool!"

Marlene opened the guest room door and threw it open. She ran into the room and threw her arms out, as if to yell, "Ta-da!" Tifa smiled. She drew back the curtains and threw her suitcase onto the bed.

"Wow, you were right, Marlene! This room is amazing!" Tifa gave Marlene another hug.

"Tifa, where's Cloud?" Marlene suddenly asked. She sat on the bed next to Tifa.

"Cloud? I… I don't know."

"What? Didn't he want to come visit?"

"I'm sure he did…"

"Doesn't he love me? Doesn't he wanna see us?"

"… Marlene…" Tifa patted her on the head gently. "Of course he loves you. And he really does want to see you… Cloud… He's just busy. He wishes he could see you…" Tifa rested her head on Marlene's head and felt her heart bottom out. The two were interrupted when the doorbell rang.

"Oooh, I'll get it!" Marlene shouted, jumping out of Tifa's arms and running to the door. Tifa sat on the bed and listened to what was going on below.

"Coming!" Marlene threw the door open. "Who are you?" She asked.

A suave looking young man smirked at the young girl staring innocently up at him. He brushed his untamed red hair back with his hand and tapped his rod gently on his left leg. He looked up at the two approaching figures behind the little girl.

"Reno?" Barrett barked. He protectively pulled Marlene behind him. Yuffie took a defensive stance in front of Barrett and Marlene. "What do you want?"

"Relax, relax… I just heard you all were here… I came to apologize. I went to Costa del Sol to look for Cloud and Tifa, but they apparently had moved. I heard they came here. I wanted to apologize for everything the Turks had done."

"Is that all you really want?"

"Yes."

"Put the weapon away."

"Yes sir." Reno stowed away the weapon and took a step closer to the house. "May I come in?"

"Don't try anything."

"Relax, old man. I won't do anything."

Barrett whispered to Marlene to go get Tifa, and she nodded before running up the stairs. Barrett then reluctantly offered Reno a seat in the living room of their home. Reno agreed and sat down on a leather couch, in the shade, rather than in the path of the bright sun. Yuffie sat down cautiously beside him, and twiddled with her boots, but never took her eyes off him.

"How did you know we were here?" Barrett asked first.

"I didn't think Yuffie would be here. I went to Costa del Sol, because I heard that Cloud and Tifa were living there. But when I reached their home, a lady told me they had moved away. I knew you were the Mayor of North Corel, so I came here. Its pure luck that Yuffie is here too, because it saves me the trip of going to Wutai, but, then again," Reno's eyes flickered to Yuffie for a moment, "Wutai is a beautiful place."

"I see." Barrett replied, waiting for Reno to go on. But before he could open his mouth, Tifa opened the door to the living room, her surprised eyes turned on Reno. They immediately narrowed and she pulled out a wooden chair and sat down.

"Why are you here?" Tifa asked suspiciously.

Reno went over the details again, and Tifa lifted her suspicions a little.

"So I just wanted to say, I'm sorry. Rude would've been here… But, he had work to attend to in New Midgar, but then again, he never said much anyway. We didn't want to actually hurt you guys… You see, it was our job. But secretly Rude and I agreed with you. We didn't want to turn against this big company, though, because that would cost us more than our jobs and paychecks." Reno looked apologetically at Tifa and said directly to her, "I'm sorry about all the trouble we caused between you and your friends."

"It's okay, Reno." Tifa said softly. She looked to her two friends. "I think we can forgive you…"

"Yeah, it's all good! After all, if we hadn't had to fight you guys, we wouldn't have been as strong as we are now!" Yuffie chimed in. She smiled benignly at Reno. Tifa eyed Yuffie apprehensively.

"… I guess if they trust you, so do I. But don't think the past is forgotten! I still don't trust ya!" Barrett said begrudgingly.

"Thank you… But… I feel like I still haven't really made it up to you guys yet. So, I decided…" Reno got quiet, which was unusual. He blushed and looked down, and then scratched the back of his neck. "Well, how about I cook you all dinner!"

"What?" Tifa blurted out, bewildered. "You cook?"

"Yeah, I always have. Just been a favorite thing of mine." Reno grinned. "So what do you think? Yeah?"

"Sure, sounds good to me! Just as long as you don't poison our food! I think I'll stay with you in the kitchen to make sure." Yuffie announced. "Let's go, the food won't cook itself!" Yuffie picked herself off the couch and pulled Reno's hand. He chuckled and followed her into the kitchen.

"What the hell was that?" Barrett mumbled.

"Honestly? I have no idea." Tifa said faintly. "Yuffie sure seems eager to be with him. Right?"

"He can cook?"

**That Night**

"Oh, wow. This is delicious!" Tifa murmured after taking a bite of Reno's cooking. "I never knew you were good at this."

"Yeah, well… I never had much reason to cook for you all, considering I was a Turk." Reno replied.

"Whatever! Give me more!" Yuffie interjected, throwing her bowl out for more food.

"Me too, me too!" Marlene yelled right after Yuffie, thrusting her bowl next to hers.

Barrett gave Tifa a look that plainly said, _"If Marlene turns out to be like Yuffie, I will kill myself." _Tifa smiled knowingly and turned her attention back to the conversation now taking place between the three.

"So, Yuffie, have any new romances now that you're the hero of Wutai?" Reno half joked.

"Nope, but naturally I have tons of boys coming after me…" Yuffie replied. "What about you, Reno? Got any ladies?"

"I got my eye on a special someone if that's what you're asking. Tifa, what about you? I mean, weren't you and Cloud sorta… an item?"

"Uh… Erm…"

"Well? Am I right or am I right? You and Cloud got together didn't ya! Just tell me I'm right. Come on, spill." Reno leaned forward expectantly.

"No… Sorry, Reno. Cloud… H-he, he left. He's going on a journey to find himself." She glanced at her hands that lay folded on her lap. She tried as hard as she could not to sound defeated. "I don't know when he'll be back." She finished, looking up.

"…Oh…" Reno knew when to back off. He sat back straight up. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright."

Reno glanced apologetically at Tifa and then turned his eyes to all of the people at the table, saying, "So, guess who I saw the other day?"

"Who?" Tifa asked, gladly accepting Reno's way of changing the subject.

"Vincent. Strange, eh?"

"Really? Where was he?" Yuffie asked, and went on, "We haven't seen him since the day we killed Sephiroth!"

"He's back at the mansion, you know, the old freaky one in Nibelheim."

"What were you doing there?" Yuffie asked again.

"Looking for more of Hojo's research. Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you. I'm looking to gather information and such, from Hojo, Gast, and the rest of them. He had a lot of notebooks left down in the basement. And that's where I found this coffin, right? And I opened it, and surprise, there's Vincent! He looked at me angrily and told me to leave, as he hadn't repented for his sins yet. Of course I had no idea what that guy was talking about. But whatever, I left him alone. I had my work already."

"Oh… That Vincent! Locking himself back up in his coffin, again…" Tifa said, a little sad. She never really realized how much she had grown to like Vincent, until this little piece of news. She always felt compassion for him, because of his lost love. She knew how he felt. And she was sad to hear that he had gone back to thinking it was his entire fault. Had he not asked for forgiveness?

"Excuse me?" Reno interrupted her train of thoughts.

"We found him in that damn casket of his when we first went to Nibelheim. He was all set on his sins and sleeping. We told him to snap the hell out of it, and when he found out we were working against the Turks and Hojo, he decided to help us." Barrett replied. "But then he had to go lock himself up in that coffin. Again."

"Oh, I had no idea about any of that."

"Yeah, well, I'm sure he doesn't go spouting all of that." Yuffie replied.

An awkward silence fell over the group. Tifa stared at her food, biting her lip. Finally, she looked up, straight at Yuffie.

"We're going to go and see Vincent tomorrow, okay?"

"Uhh, we are?"

"Yeah. I miss him." Tifa said with a note of finality. Yuffie eyed her suspiciously, but before she could ask why, Tifa opened her mouth and looked at Reno, saying, "This food is delicious."

"Thanks, Tifa," Reno grinned charmingly, "a compliment like that coming from a woman as beautiful as you makes me even happier that I made it."

Yuffie kicked Reno under the table before putting on a mocking grin. "Yes, Tifa, you are so beautiful, I just want to kiss you!"

**Later**

"Bye, Reno! I'll see you later!" Yuffie called last, as Reno made his way to the exit of the town.

"See you later." He replied.

Barrett closed the door and gave a satisfied sigh. "I never imagined I'd be eating dinner with a lame ass like him."

"Barrett! Don't say that! He just made us dinner and you still think so poorly of him." Tifa chided, before starting up the staircase. "I'm going to go pack and then go to sleep. Tomorrow we go visit Vincent!"

"See you in the morning!" Yuffie called as Tifa disappeared up the stairs.

"So what is this, with you and Reno?" Barrett asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Is there… something going on between you two?" He asked. "I mean… Come on, it was obvious. Why would you like a bi—"

"Daddy!" Marlene called, rushing down the staircase that Tifa had just gone up. She ran and gave her father a hug. "Will you help me clear the table?" Barrett sighed and patted his daughter on the head.

"Of course."

Yuffie smirked and bade them both goodnight. She ran up the stairs and followed the hall to her room, where all of her things were spread out. _I can't believe I have to pack all of this damn stuff again. _She sighed and went to work, throwing random things back into her worn suitcase. _But it'll be worth seeing Vincent again tomorrow._

**A/N: **Well, I know its pretty lame and all, considering how I made you all wait so long and then just had a long random chapter. It'll get good next chapter, I promise! So review and I'll love you long time. And perhaps update sooner than a month.


	4. Chapter 3

**Lost Under the Stars  
**_Final Fantasy VII_

**By: **Bahamuts AngelVII

**A/N: **Italicized means thinking. Review! Go check out my other FFVII stories while you're at it. And then review! Oh, and I've decided to shorten the chapters a bit, and update more often. Sorry for the pretty much five-year wait.

**Chapter Three**

"Well, here we are!" Yuffie proclaimed. Yuffie and Tifa stood outside of the old Nibelheim mansion.

"Yes, here we are." Tifa replied. Her heart felt heavy as she glanced up at the rundown mansion, where she was sure Vincent resided.

Tifa knocked gently on the door. When no one answered, Tifa started to knock again. Yuffie knocked her hand out of the way.

"Obviously he's not going to answer! He's locked himself up in that stupid basement again." Yuffie burst the door open with her foot and gasped at the amount of monsters in the house. Her and Tifa put their luggage down and put on their fighting gear.

The two kicked, punched, and ninja-ed their way through the mansion to the hidden staircase in the back rooms. They pulled the door open. The musty purple walls which were full of skeletons were as solemn and disheartened as they had remembered. Tifa went first, with Yuffie following anxiously behind her.

"These stairs suck." Yuffie remarked.

"Well… It's not like anyone could keep them in repair; watch your step, we don't want to fall." Tifa droned in a motherly tone.

"You are boring. Tifa, listen to yourself!"

"Sorry… I just… I have no idea how to feel right now." Tifa turned her head.

Before they knew what was happening, Tifa's foot cracked one of the steps and she fell forward. She let out a scream, but couldn't stop herself from falling. The stairs cracked and she fell and fell, all they way to the floor.

"Holy shit! TIFA!" Yuffie screamed. She ran the rest of the way down and ran to Tifa.

"Tifa… Tifa?" Yuffie put Tifa's head on her lap and shook her gently. "Oh, no…"

Looking around, Yuffie did the most viable option. She ran to the coffin room where they had first found Vincent. She opened the door and threw off Vincent's coffin lid unceremoniously.

"VINCENT WAKE UP!" She screamed loudly in his ear. If he was surprised, he did not show it. He slowly opened his eyes and squinted until he realized it was Yuffie, looking frightened, standing over him. He sat up immediately.

"What is the meaning of this?" He asked calmly.

"Tifa's unconscious!"

"What? Where?" He asked. He jumped out of his coffin and beat Yuffie to the doorway. He looked out and ran gracefully to Tifa. He bent over her and rolled up his pale sleeves to reveal pale skin. He removed his glove from his hand.

After checking her pulse, he came to the conclusion that she wasn't in a bad condition. He picked Tifa up daintily and flew up and up, until he reached the doorway to the rest of the mansion. Yuffie panted behind him as she carefully avoided the holes in the stairs.

"Wait up, Vinnie!" Yuffie said, trying to catch her breath. She finally exited and the door shut behind her automatically. Vincent put Tifa down lightly on one of the guest beds.

"We cannot keep Tifa here. It is too dangerous. There are monsters about." Vincent mumbled.

"What if we kill them?"

"Okay." Vincent put together his gear and Yuffie did the same. The two made their way around the mansion, happy to be back in action.

**Later**

Tifa awoke to a fresh, lemon smell. She sniffed a little, and then opened her eyes. She remembered where she was. She saw Vincent standing above her, pushing a cool wet cloth onto her forehead.

"Vincent?" She asked.

"Yes. Hello, Tifa. How is your head?" He asked.

Tifa paused. She felt her head throb. "Oh, ouch. It hurts. What happened?" Tifa asked again.

"You fell. Yuffie woke me up. I carried you back here and then we went to destroy the rest of the monsters inhabiting this mansion. Tifa… If you don't feel well, please don't try to get up." Vincent replied, as Tifa attempted to sit up. Her head hurt too much.

"… Thanks, Vincent. Say, what have you been up to since we killed Sephiroth?" She asked amiably. She liked Vincent a lot. She missed him. "Wait, where's Yuffie?"

"Yuffie went to get some aspirin. She also decided that this mansion needed to… Uh, lighten up a bit. I like the mansion the way it is. However, as you and Yuffie are my guests, I will allow her to do what she likes. I forgot how much trouble she was." Vincent replied, with a hint of a smile on his lips. He went on, "Well. Since Sephiroth was defeated, I have been back here. I… I had not completed atoning for my sins."

"Vincent, locking yourself up is definitely not a way to atone for your sins." She said softly. "You'd been forgiven, I thought."

"I still love her. I can't do it…"

"Oh, Vincent… I don't want you to shut yourself away again. Will you at least stay with us? Are you going to go to the wedding?"

"Yes, I will. And I am planning on going to the wedding, although I am not too sure about wearing a tuxedo. It all seems too… frilly." Vincent replied.

Tifa giggled. Vincent was exactly the same, even if others weren't. She was glad they had decided to come and visit.

"But now, Tifa, what are you two doing here, really?" Vincent asked. "I find it hard to believe that you two came only to ask if I would be present at the wedding."

"Ah, well…" Tifa blushed. "We wanted to visit you. Actually… I kinda missed you." Tifa blushed more. "I know it sounds stupid but…"

"No, it's okay. I missed you too. But where's Cloud?" Vincent replied. "I thought you two were in Costa del Sol?"

"… Um, actually… We kind of… Split up… I mean, he needed to go. He didn't want to stay." Tifa mumbled, feeling ashamed and scared.

"Oh. Tifa, I'm sorry." Vincent put his hand caringly on Tifa's shoulder. "Are you going to be okay?"

His eyes showed so much concern that Tifa had to look away. But she was still grateful. "I'll be okay, Vincent. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Just then, Yuffie could be heard pounding up the staircase. She rounded the corner and yanked open the door. She smiled at the sight of Tifa awake. She pushed a glass of water into her friend's hand and plopped some aspirin into her other.

"Here ya go! Straight from the store!" Yuffie beamed. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm alright, thank you, Yuffie." Tifa replied.

"Did you do anything to my mansion?" Vincent asked dryly.

"Oh, well, I just opened all the curtains and hired a maintenance team to fix everything in the house. And some maids."

"Where did you get the money?" Vincent asked calmly, although Tifa could tell he was not feeling calm at all.

"Well, Vincent… It's your house, so…"

"No you didn't!" Tifa exclaimed, after taking the aspirin. "Yuffie, don't be mean to Vincent."

"Alright, fine! I had my own money. Anyway, what are we going to do?"

"What do you mean?" Vincent asked.

"Well… I'm assuming that Tifa and I can stay for awhile, right? So how about hanging until the wedding then? The three of us can go together! And you two can go as dates!" Yuffie exclaimed, obviously not thinking at all about what she was saying. Tifa felt anxious.

"If it's okay with you, Vincent, then it's okay with me." Tifa said, halfway asking a question.

"It's good timing."

"Good! Anyway, I'm going to go settle into my room. I'll see you two later." Yuffie shut the door behind her as she exited. She bounced onto her own bed a proceeded to make a call to Reno.

Vincent stood up awkwardly. Tifa let out a soft laugh.

"Hey, Vincent, can you get something for me?"

"Sure, what do you need?"

"In there… In the dresser, that's where Yuffie put my stuff right?"

"Yeah, I believe so."

"Can you get me one of my sweatshirts out of there?"

"Of course." Vincent replied, feeling uneasy as he opened the first drawer. What would he say if he came across Tifa's "unmentionables"? He was never quite on with that subject. But to his luck, he found a few sweatshirts and a small box in the corner. He pulled out a grey sweatshirt.

"Toss it here." Tifa said. She caught it and said, "Thanks." After shrugging her way into her sweater, she beamed at Vincent. "Do you know what time it is?"

"It's about…" Vincent glanced at the watch on his wrist. "Seven."

"It's that late already, huh?"

"Yeah. The sun is about to set. I'm going to go prepare dinner. It should be ready in an hour or so, if you're feeling well enough to come downstairs."

"Thank you." Tifa replied. Vincent grasped the doorknob with his clawed hand and twisted it open. He walked out without any further words and shut the door.

**One Hour Later**

"Can you come eat?" Yuffie asked Tifa. "I think Vincent made some fancy dinner. He told me to ask if you were going to come down."

"Yeah, I think I will." Tifa carefully pushed the bed sheets back and swung her legs over the side. She stood up, feeling a little faint.

"Are you okay?" Yuffie asked. "If you don't want to, you don't have to."

"No, it's all good." Tifa replied, and smiled when Yuffie offered her a hand. Tifa nodded and Yuffie clasped onto her elbow, helping her walk down the stairs. Tifa's head throbbed a little, but she knew she had had worse injuries.

"Woah, smells awesome!" Yuffie commented, and let go of Tifa's arm. She ran to the table and sat down, looking like an eager little girl. Tifa helped Vincent bring food to the table.

"Aw, look at you two, just like a married couple!" Yuffie commented.

**Later**

"Do you need some help cleaning up?" Tifa asked, as she picked up some dirty dishes. She walked into the kitchen and pushed them into Vincent's hands.

"I guess it doesn't matter if I say no."

"You got that right." Tifa smiled. Vincent leaned over the sink with a pair of rubber gloves and an apron on, his flying black hair going this way and that. His hair fell in front of his face.

"Tifa? Could you please do me a favor and push my hair out of my eyes? I would do it myself, but… I have my hands full." Vincent asked. Tifa laughed at the ironic image in front of her. She turned Vincent around and pushed a couple locks of hair away from his face. She must've had a strange look on her face, because Vincent turned away immediately and then asked, "What's wrong?"

"Sorry, I just… Usually I can't see your face. It wasn't anything bad." Tifa replied, feeling idiotic.

"Oh, okay." Vincent replied quietly. Tifa was pretty sure he wanted her to leave, until he said, "Would you like some tea?"

Apparently, he had finished doing the dishes. He looked at Tifa when she didn't reply. She simply nodded, and he nodded back. After preparing the tea, he led her out into the living room near the foyer of the mansion.

The two sat quietly, sipping their tea.

"Why are you so kind to me?" Vincent asked quietly. Tifa was taken aback by this question. She thought of answers that didn't sound stupid.

"We're friends." Tifa silently smacked herself. Now she knew it sounded like she was doing it out of pure duty, when in reality, she felt some invisible ties to Vincent. Like whenever they were together, things would be okay. Vincent was a quiet man, someone of few words. But Tifa knew there were so many things about him she had not known. She wanted to know more about him.

"I see." Vincent paused.

"I didn't mean it like tha—"

"I know, you don't have to say anything."

"Thanks, Vincent."

"Anytime."

**A/N: **Well, that was lame, but at least I got an update. More stuff will happen soon, though! And I have a question, if someone would answer… Is Vincent's "claw" thing his actual arm or a glove? I've heard both versions, and I wasn't sure which it really is.


	5. Chapter 4

**Lost Under the Stars  
**_Final Fantasy VII_

**By: **Bahamuts AngelVII

**A/N: **Italicized means thinking. Review! Go check out my other FFVII stories while you're at it. And then review! Oh yeah, I've been reading my reviews lately, and some guy was like "Vincent is Tifa's uncle!" What the hell, I'm pretty sure they aren't. How does that even work? When in the story are they related? Can somebody answer me this question?

**Chapter Four**

Tifa stood up to put her cup back in the sink. As she did, she felt the throbbing start back up at the back of her head. She touched it tenderly and felt a bump. She winced inwardly.

"I heard it was quite a fall." Vincent remarked, passing Tifa. He took her dishes and washed them in the sink. Tifa stayed mute and sat down at the table. The clock was ticking away. It was almost eleven.

"Maybe. It wasn't too bad." She grinned. "At least you were here, right?"

Vincent laughed a soft, hiccupy laugh. Tifa was surprised. Had she really not heard him laugh before? She liked it when he laughed. She kept talking.

"Well, I guess you, Yuffie, and I are mansion-mates until the wedding."

"Apparently."

"I'm sorry we're intruding." Tifa immediately said.

"No, it's good to have some company sometimes…" He shot her a small smile. He started to walk out of the kitchen and she followed suit.

The two walked up the staircase to their rooms. They said a silent good-bye before retreating to their own rooms. Tifa closed the door lightly behind her and walked over to her dresser. She opened the drawers looking for her sweat pants that she could sleep in. She started with the bottom drawer and worked her way up. They were evidently in the top one. She opened it slowly and found her pants.

As she took them out, she saw something lying face down in the drawer. Next to it was a tiny black box. She lifted out the flat thing lying down. She flipped it over and her eyebrows rose in surprise.

In front of Tifa was something she never expected to see. A man with jet black hair wore a Turk suit, apparently. She could tell, because she remembered when she saw Reno, Rude, and Elena wearing them. However, it was obvious that this was a long time ago. He had bright ruby red eyes, just like hers. He was not alone in the picture.

It looked as if he was at a celebration party, because in the background she could see various people. But the ones in the photograph looking at the camera surprised her.

There was a man with a white lab coat on. He had greasy looking black hair and round glasses on. A smile was on his face, but Tifa could see right through it. He had ambition and curiosity. But it was obvious that he had pride as well, and the look on his face showed malicious intentions. Between these two men stood a woman. She was beautiful. She had a rope of pearls adorning her neck, and she was wearing a similar lab coat. However, she had no show of conceit or anger. Her serene smile and dark eyes showed a caring soul.

Tifa then noticed their hands. Her hand was intertwined with the man to her left, the Turk. Tifa knew exactly who these three people were and what their fates were. She felt a strange twist in her stomach, looking at this picture. The three people smiled happily, completely unaware of what would befall them in the future.

But then again, it was beautiful. _Ignorance is bliss, as they always sa_y. Tifa placed the picture of Vincent, Lucrecia, and Hojo back into the drawer.

Tifa slipped into her sweatpants and then into her bed. The moon shone brightly on her covers. Before turning over into sleep, she could've sworn she heard someone say her name…

_Tifa…_

_I made a mistake…_

_Let me come home. I'll make it up to you._

_Please, Tifa…_

Tifa awoke with a start. Yuffie was staring at her with a wide grin on her face.

"What, Yuffie?" Tifa said groggily.

"I had an amazing dream!"

"Yes?"

"Well, me and Reno were at Gold Saucer…" Yuffie went on with the contents of her dream, smiling and laughing the whole way through. Tifa smiled and went along with it. Inside, somewhere deep inside, she had a twang of jealousy. She envied the happiness of her friend. The constant happiness. She could let go of things so easily. Tifa wished she was like that.

"Great, Yuffie…" Tifa replied, smiling. "That's awesome."

"Yeah, hey, so, what's up with you and Vinnie?" Yuffie raised her eyebrows suggestively.

"Umm, Yuffie, there is nothing with Vincent and I." Tifa blushed. She shook her head.

"Evs." Yuffie said lightly. She bounced on Tifa's bed. "So what are we going to do today?"

"Well, I'm not sure. What does Vincent have planned? Do you know?"

"Nope, no idea."

"Excuse me." Vincent opened the door. "Are you two going to come downstairs to eat breakfast?"

"Yeah, I'll come." Tifa got out of her bed and Yuffie sat there, a bit irritated.

"Fine, you two, I'll be there in a minute. Don't let me _interrupt_ anything." Yuffie rolled her eyes at her own comment and turned to go to the bathroom. "I'll be showering anyway."

Tifa and Vincent walked into the kitchen. The two busied themselves about the kitchen, making breakfast. Finally the two sat down in the breakfast room. Tifa smiled placidly out the window. The sun shone brightly through the curtains, which were thin. The birds chirped and twittered outside of the window, and roses grew below it.

"It's funny, I never really thought that I would wind up back here of all places." Tifa remarked casually. She sat in her pajamas drinking a hot cup of coffee and Vincent companionably sat next to her.

"Yeah? Well you didn't just come here on a whim, did you?"

"Nah, not really. I- we came to see you." Tifa replied.

"Hey, what's for breakfast?" Yuffie interrupted. She entered the room looking disheveled. "How's your head, Tif?"

"I'm fine. We're just eating some waffles."

"Oh, I'll just hook myself up with some then." Yuffie walked into the adjacent kitchen while the two kept on talking.

"So, Vincent. I've been thinking, after the wedding you're not going back into… hiding, right?"

Vincent laughed. "Is that what you call it? Hiding?"

"Yeah, you're not exactly… Living a normal life."

"Well that's true. But it… it isn't hiding. It's just… I can't live right. I can't live right, right _now_, anyways. I have sins, you know." Vincent said, suddenly dark. He fidgeted with his clothes. "I'm sorry."

"No, Vincent… I-" Tifa was interrupted by a loud crash in the kitchen. A girly scream followed the crash. Tifa and Vincent bolted from their seats into the kitchen. There stood Yuffie, beat red, in the middle of a pile of broken glass.

"What happened?" Vincent said in a monotone voice. Tifa cast him a glance, wondering how he could stay so calm with all this broken glass.

"I saw a mouse…" Yuffie cleared her throat. "I'll clean it up, don't worry. It just caught me off guard. I'll also get that mouse as well, so don't worry about it."

"I thought mice lived outside." Tifa said.

"No, those are rats." Yuffie replied, as she scooped down to clean up the mess. "You haven't ever seen a mouse outside, have you?"

"No, but what happens if a mouse goes outside? Does it become a rat?"

"Enough of this nonsense. Yuffie, please go upstairs and I will clean this myself."

"But Vincent!"

"No, it's completely fine. Trust me." Vincent said. Yuffie backed out of the room slowly before retreating upstairs. Tifa stood frozen in the doorway.

She whispered, "Do you need some help?" She wasn't really sure why she was whispering. Vincent intimidated her a little. He was so silent and strong and scary, he could kill anything with a whisk of his cloak.

"No, it's alright."

Tifa saw Vincent bend down. He reached out and removed his claw from his hand. Tifa let out a small gasp, but he didn't notice. He had two, perfectly human fleshy hands. He reached out and scooped some glass into his hands.

"Vincent, aren't you cut?"

"It doesn't really matter."

"…"

Vincent finished cleaning the rest of the glass up without a scratch until the last scoop. He had a few cuts on his index finger. Tifa leaned forward and gingerly took his hand.

"Let me clean this." She put his hand under the water faucet and let it run. She put some soap on and cleaned his cut. "You don't want and infection." She said lightly. Then she wrapped his finger in some band aids.

"Thanks, Tifa. You did not need to do that."

"I wanted to."

"Okay."

Vincent reached to put his claw back on his injured hand. But Tifa reached out and stopped him. She took it and put it behind her back.

"Please don't. I like it when you aren't wearing it. It makes you look a little more…"

"Human?"

"Hm, yeah. I like you the way you are now."

"Okay, I guess this will be okay for now. But I want it back soon."

"I can't make any promises!"

"Just don't hurt yourself; you know how brunettes can be."

**A/N**: What a random ending to this chapter. Well, go ahead and review.

I'm very sorry for the lack of updates for the last 3 months. I am seriously loaded with school, which is no excuse, and my other story! Please, please review! And I apologize if there are any weird grammar/spelling errors. I didn't really review this chapter.


	6. Chapter 5

**Lost Under the Stars  
**_Final Fantasy VII_

**By: **Bahamuts AngelVII

**A/N: **Italicized means thinking. Review! Go check out my other FFVII stories while you're at it. And then review! I am also VERY sorry for the lack of updating, I was very busy with my other story and wrapping that up, although I'm still not quite done. But now that summer is here (I'm a little late with this excuse too) I will have much more time. I apologize sincerely, I hope none of you were put off by the lack of updating. So here I am, and I'm going to try and make this chapter well worth the wait… I hope.

Review and tell me what you think!

**Chapter 5**

"Ew. Look at this. Look at this mess! Gawd, how can people live like this?! What is wrong with this boy?!"

"Yuffie… It's just clothing. Did you expect Vincent to be a fashionista? I mean really?"

"No… No, I guess not, but seriously. This guy needs to add a new outfit to his wardrobe."

"Does he now?" Tifa grinned. She knew what was coming. "And who is gonna go taking him shopping?" She could barely suppress a giggle.

"Us! You know that." Yuffie chided kiddingly. She pulled Tifa away from Vincent's closet and gunned down the stairs. "Vincent! Vincent! Tifa and I are gonna take you shopping!"

Vincent looked up from a tattered, old book he was reading. He gazed unblinkingly at Yuffie, before turning his gaze to Tifa. He rolled his eyes and set his book down.

"To what do I owe this excursion?"

"It's your closet." Yuffie replied accusatorily.

"… Fine." Vincent stood up and walked alongside Tifa as they watched Yuffie throw the front door to the mansion open. He closed the door behind him and locked it shut.

The light breeze swirled around them, providing a pleasant walk down to the town which had grown nicely in size. However, it still remained the small, pleasant town that Tifa had known as a child. She smiled happily as she watched Yuffie frolic like a young kid; she also had a huge smile that betrayed her usually sarcastic manner.  
Tifa stole a glance over at Vincent. His eyes were emotionless, as always, but at the same time she thought she saw something else…

"Ouch…" Tifa grabbed the back of her head. Suddenly she felt Vincent's arms supporting her, as she had buckled over.

"Tifa! Are you alright?" Vincent murmured. He held onto her as she shook. Yuffie turned around immediately and ran back towards them, concern etched into her young face.

"Tifa, is it your head? Do you want to go back?" Yuffie asked, worried.

"N-no, no, I'm… I'm alright." Tifa said, as the pain ebbed. She stood up and walked a few steps before turning around. "I'm fine!" She said with a smile, as if to prove that she was alright. "Let's go!"

Yuffie and Vincent exchanged a glance before continuing. The three of them made their way to a nearby clothing store, one that Yuffie picked exclusively. Vincent uneasily entered, feeling suddenly in the spot light as many young ladies crowded around him, eager to help.  
Yuffie pushed them all away as she led Vincent down the many fashionable aisles. She pushed different colors and sizes and styles of shirts and she looked carefully for something to fit Vincent.

"Hmmm…" Yuffie mumbled. "I doubt he'll go for this chocobo-yellow jumpsuit…"

**Later**

"Well, which do you like?" Yuffie asked, enthusiastically. "So?"

"Uh…" Vincent held up a handful of hangers with clothes on them.

"So you like the darker colors, eh? Well, I'll admit, crimson is a nice color on you. Oh, I see you picked some white dress shirts too…"

"Yeah, can we go now?" Vincent asked. He was really getting bothered. "Come on. I don't want to be here."

"Fine, whatever, give me the money, you can go back with Tifa now to the mansion." Yuffie huffed. She honestly didn't care all too much, but she liked to be whiney now and then.

"… Tifa?!" Vincent called, alarmed. Yuffie immediately turned around from her position at the register, gil in hand. She threw down the money, picked up the bags, and rushed over.

Tifa was lying on her back, completely unconscious. As Vincent had turned earlier to suggest them going home, he saw her collapse with a loud thud. He rushed over and picked her up, calling her name. He immediately rushed out of the store and ran away up to the mansion, with Yuffie in hot pursuit, the bags weighing her down.

"Damn you, fashion!"

**A Few Hours Later**

Tifa opened her eyes. She blinked, and saw two fuzzy heads floating above her. She reached out feebly. _…Cloud? _She smiled. _I knew you'd come back… _

"Hey, there, how are you feeling?" She heard a voice. _Hey… Since when did you sound like—_"Hey Tif, it's me, Yuffie! Can't you tell?"

"Err… Yuffie? Vincent?" Tifa asked. "What happened?"

"You collapsed in the clothing store. I brought you back… Tifa… You should stay in bed. Yuffie, please leave." Vincent's soothing voice echoed. He showed Yuffie to the door.

"I-I what? Oh, fine! Gawd, you people suck." Yuffie slammed the door to her own bedroom, leaving a resounding silence behind her. Vincent shut Tifa's door.

"Tifa… Is there anything at all that I may do for you?"

"Oh, no, Vincent, I'm alright, thank you. I'm sorry that I'm such a big trouble."

"No, it's okay. Really." Vincent gave her a warm smile. "Anything I can do?"

"Could… Could you get me my cell phone? I think Yuffie put it in the bottom drawer…"

"Yes, of course." Vincent walked over to the dresser and bent low, to open the bottom drawer. He pulled out her cell phone and was ready to close the dresser before he saw a small black box in the corner. He set the phone on the nightstand beside him and pulled it out. "What is this?" He asked. He set it down over on the nightstand, right next to Tifa. She sat up to look at it better.

"It looks like…"

"A music box."

"Yeah. Open it!" Tifa said, excitedly. He complied and reached over to open it. A beautiful melody poured out.

The music box was old fashioned; it had a tiny little woman spinning slowly in circles as the song played on. She had a smile painted on her face, with long brown hair. The song struck something deep within Tifa… As though she had waited all her life to hear this song. It's low notes resonated powerfully within her, and the high notes seemed to float by.  
Vincent picked up a small necklace that lay on the bottom by itself. It caught the light beautifully. There was a small pearl that shone brilliantly. He handed it silently to Tifa.

"Vincent… Where did this come from?"

"… I don't know. I never knew this was here. But you know… For some reason this reminds me of you. This song…" He trailed away. The two listened quietly to the tinkering melody that haunted them.

"… Thanks."

"Y-yes…" Vincent stuttered. He seemed to snap out of his reverie. He stood up and straightened out his clothes. "Well I'd better get going… I'll leave you to make your call."

Once again, Tifa could only mumble out a "thank you", before he left. When she heard the door click satisfyingly, she pulled out her cell phone. She clicked it open and without missing a heartbeat punched in the number she had been calling so often lately…

It rang once, twice, three times, until she stopped counting. Finally she knew the person on the other end wouldn't answer. _Should I bother leaving a message?_

"Hey, this is Cloud. Sorry I'm not here. Leave a message." _Beep_. "H-hey, Cloud… It's me. I was just wondering how you're doing… Call me back… When are you coming home?" Tifa immediately hung up. She couldn't believe she said the last part. She dropped her cell phone on the ground and snuggled into her bed.

The melody floated throughout her and let her drift into a comfortable, albeit hesitant sleep…

**Meanwhile**

"… Shit." Vincent paced his room, his dark eyebrows furrowed in anger and worry. Those feelings he had just then, didn't he swear he would never feel that way again? He swore that after _her_, after _she_ left, he would never let himself feel that way. Not ever, because he had to atone for his sins. He had to fix it, because he didn't know how to feel. Or if he was even allowed to feel that way towards a certain girl. He angrily smashed his fist into his headboard. It dented, but he didn't feel anything.

"Shit. Shit. Shit." Vincent would not admit it, but those feelings brought up with them a great fear. A fear of losing, wanting, gaining, of getting something he didn't deserve… A fear of never realizing his true wants. He had done so well the past years, how come he suddenly felt this way? How come in one moment he felt as strongly as he did so many years ago? The nostalgic feeling set him uneasy. Vincent knew he was too old for her. He looked like he was her age, but in reality he had been contained for so long…

"Uh, Vinny?" A voice piped up quietly on the other side of his bedroom door. He immediately snapped to attention and opened the door. Yuffie came in and shut the door behind her. "Are you okay? I heard a loud bang." Her eyes traced the room and came to rest on his broken headboard. "What did you do?"

"I… I was just distressed." Vincent didn't meet her eyes. He sat down on the edge of his bed.

"Huh. Distressed? I don't see it." Yuffie smiled a bit. "You have a crush on someone don't you?" She winked. "I bet it's…"

"No!" Vincent said, a bit more rudely than he meant. He cast her an apologetic look and repeated, "No." a bit quieter. "No, I don't have a crush on anybody. Can I please be left alone?"

Yuffie took the cue to leave, and Vincent found this disturbing as usually she had no problem bursting in on other people's lives. He laid down on his bed, wondering if the brunette in the other room had ever felt anything towards him.

**A/N: **Wow, that took SO long to update, I'm really glad you guys are still here. I hope. Please review. Now that I've finished this I have more inspiration for later chapters. Now go and review!


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